At the recently concluded UFC 296 event, Paddy Pimblett managed to secure victory against Tony Ferguson. Although the veteran started out strong, it was evident throughout the fight that Ferguson is no longer the divisional bogeyman he used to be. Right from the final minutes of the first round, Pimblett outgunned the American. And although ‘El Cucuy’ managed to survive the fight, it was a dominant victory for the Englishman.
A former high school wrestler, Ferguson is a legend of the sport without a single doubt. But at the same time, it’s no secret that his best days inside the octagon are behind him. This is evident from the fact that Ferguson’s most recent loss was his seventh straight loss in the promotion. This makes Pimblett’s win over him less of a feat than it could have been. And it looks like some people aren’t impressed, including this former champion.
Rafael dos Anjos Challenges Paddy Pimblett
Even before the dust of his clash at UFC 296 could settle, Paddy Pimblett has found himself on the receiving end of a callout from Rafael dos Anjos. Moments after the conclusion of the Englishman’s bout, the Brazilian issued a challenge for ’Baddy’. A fight which, according to Dos Anjos, will end up in his favor without going through a dedicated fight camp.
Taking to Twitter, ‘RDA’ initially seemed to be in praise of the newcomer. “The hype is real,” he wrote. But this statement turned out to be a sarcastic one, after the world champion grappler shifted track in the very next tweet. In his own words: “You guys didn’t get the joke. Pimblett is terrible. I would beat this kid without a fight camp.”
This challenge by the Brazilian, however, was soon addressed by the Englishman during the post-fight press conference of UFC 296. Just like Dos Anjos, Pimblett started off with praise for his veteran colleague. Talking to the reporters, he said: “He’s another legend, a former champ, just like Tony. RDA is very good.” However, the tone soon switched when it came down to the callout.
“What the f*ck is he mentioning me for then? Stupid bastard,” Pimblett said. “Focus on who you’ve got to fight. But, yeah, everybody’s going to mention me, aren’t they? And it’s just because of the little thing around my name and the fact that I’ve got so many followers,” the former Cage Warriors champion further added.
Nonetheless, down the line, the lightweight agreed to this proposed matchup. Accepting ‘RDA’s challenge, Pimblett said: “That’s what it is, but as I say, I wouldn’t disrespect RDA. He’s a former champ, one of the future legends of the sport. But he’s another one that’s getting a bit old now. And if he wants me to take him out, I will.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
